The ALANA Intercultural Board, as well as its umbrella organizations, are preparing for Cornell’s first Culture Fest on Sunday, where various student organizations will be showcasing cultural diversity
“Culture Fest is an opportunity for our campus to come together to celebrate and acknowledge the diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences of our diverse student body,” said Marisa Knox ’18, ALANA president.
Knox explained that Culture Fest is a response to the series of racially charged incidents that happened last semester. At ALANA’s monthly State of the Union in December, members of the Cornell community expressed the need to bring the campus together and brainstormed solutions to the current campus climate.
“Many of our members were excited to see a festival or celebration of multiculturalism on campus,” Knox told The Sun.
Besides featuring art shows and performances, the event will also serve an educational purpose, with organizations like Cornall Asian Pacific Island Student Union using their booths to demonstrate what their organizations do, according to Angela Sun ’18, director of External Affairs for CAPSU.
“We hope to meet people from all around campus and different walks of life to create more collaborative bonds,” Knox said.
According to Knox, Ryan Lombardi, vice president for student and campus life and Vijay Pendakur, dean of students supported and offered help to plan the Culture Fest.
“The Dean of Student Office was and has been very receptive to the idea, and offered support and resources,” she said. “It was then that we realized we could actually bring this event to life in the 2018 spring semester.”
Knox also expressed her hope to expand the Culture Fest into an annual, university-wide event.
“Ten years from now, I hope this event is still going strong as an agent of change in the campus culture,” Knox said.
Culture Fest will take place on Sunday, March 25th at Barton Hall, starting at 1 p.m.